Macau: suggestion about hotel reservation strategy
 

I post in the HK forum because Macao is quite easy to reach via HKIA.

I booked my hotel stay via the web (award) due to high prices.
After disembark from the ferry (Macao ferry terminal), after Immigration and Custom, I saw a few travel agency stands.

If you purchase the hotel stay there it will be a lot cheaper. It will be not refundable but it's basically for the same/next day :D.

If you wish to save a few HK$ more I suggest to avoid the stands just in front and try the ones in the left corridor.

Example:
Holiday Inn
via http://www.ichotelsgroup.com, 1000 HK$ + 10% +5 %
via travel agency, 800 HK$ including the 10%+5% taxes (attention, if you pay with credit card they could ask for a 3% more)


Suggestion:
book via web the first night (and use it)
book via web the other nights (refundable fare of course)
do a price check at the travel agencies and in case purchase the "other night" stay from there and later on cancel the original reservation for the same nights.

Point of attention:
the proposed prices fluctuate quite a lot during the week
it's not unusual to find "sold out", so have an alternative name or two already in place.


Where to change money ?
suggestion:
option a) withdraw from ATM
option b) exchange your foreign currency in a bank situated in an hotel (in my case the Lisboa). It should have been more expensive than other location but I got no fee and a better exchange rate than other street facilities.